Can You Work With MS?

Articles OnMS at Home & Work

After you're diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, you may worry about how your condition could affect your work life.

You can work with MS. Many people who have it stay in their job for years after they’re diagnosed. It varies greatly from person to person. In time, you may need to ask for accommodations so you can continue there. You may even find other kinds of work that you can do.

The Effects on Your Job

Now, or in the future, you may have some symptoms that make your it harder to work.

How it affects you may also depend on the type of work you do. If you get dizzy or have double vision, it’s unsafe to drive a delivery truck or operate machinery. Some people with MS find harder to focus their thoughts. Usually, it just takes more time. Planning or analysis may also get tougher the longer you have MS.

What You Can Do

First, don’t panic. The Americans with Disabilities Act protects your right to have a job you’re qualified to do, even if you have a condition like MS.

The law allows you to ask for reasonable accommodations, so you can do your job. These tweaks can include:

Special tools or devices

Different work hours

Use of unpaid leave or vacation time for medical treatment

Changing or swapping of tasks that aren’t key to your job

A reserved parking spot

In any case, you’ll need to be able to do the main functions of your job. For example, if you’re a receptionist, the ability to answer phone calls is a basic part of the role. If MS makes it hard to use the phone, and there’s no one else to help you, you may need to find other work.

If you have MS, you may qualify for Social Security benefits. That doesn’t mean that you can’t work at any job or that you automatically qualify for disability.

Talk with a lawyer who specializes in disability claims to find out if you're entitled to benefits.

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Should You Tell Your Boss?

In some cases, you may want or need to tell your employer that you have MS.

If you have MS and apply for a new job: You don’t have to tell anyone during theinterview process unless you ask for accommodations. Any employer can ask you if you’re able to do the necessary tasks. If it requires you to lift heavy boxes or type at a certain speed, you may have to show that you can do that.

If you already have a job and develop MS: You don’t have to tell your boss anything unless you ask for accommodations. Your employer does have the right to ask why you need new equipment or a change in work hours, so you’ll have to give information to back up your request.

Even if you don't ask for accommodations, you may decide to tell your employer that you have MS. If you decide to, start with a private talk. You could share things like:

Your diagnosis

What your doctor says

Simple changes that may make it easier for you to do your job

Then, you may want to meet with your other co-workers to tell them. If they’ve noticed some of your symptoms, this can put them at ease. You may also want to suggest ways you can help each other with job tasks.

Alternatives

It’s your choice whether to stay in your current job. Your symptoms may be mild for a while, or they may go away. You might be able to control your condition with treatments, so you can work.

If your symptoms make it hard to do your job, you may need to make changes. You could:

Work fewer hours or part-time

Find a job you can do despite your MS symptoms

Train for another type of work

Find a job you can do at home or online

If you need to stop working, you can still volunteer. This can boost your pride, and allow you to teach or help others.

If you're worried about what the future, try something called a work self-assessment. You can take online tests to help you figure out if your MS symptoms could affect your job. These tools can help you decide which changes you need to make now, and which may need to consider down the road.